A Further Understanding of Us
by Evil Sisters
Summary: 3rd in the Understandings Universe - Jen and CJ continue to grow closer as both their lives take unexpected turns.
1. Chapter 1

** A Further Understanding ... of Us**

Chapter 1

~~! The Stand !~~ 

Jen sighed, looking at the new schedule for the help center and seeing that she and CJ weren't working any shifts together yet again. She had barely seen him since he had been released from the hospital a couple of weeks ago. They hadn't talked about sleeping in the hospital bed together, but Jen was sure that's what his avoidance boiled down to. 

Slumping in her chair, she saw David walk in and drop his backpack beside his desk. 

"Hey, David. Have you seen CJ this week?" 

"Yeah, we had pizza together the other night. He wanted me to go over his philosophy paper." 

"Has he said anything about me?" 

"Jen, it's not my place to tell you that. If CJ told me something, I wouldn't repeat it." 

"He's avoiding me, David. This is worse than before." 

"Go talk to him. There's no reason for you to avoid him if he's avoiding you." 

"I don't know how you do this job. You talk in circles." 

He grinned, replying, "It's all part of my charm." 

She sulked in silence for a few minutes, before realizing that she had no idea how to get in touch with him. "I don't know how to find him." She muttered to David. 

"Excuse me? I, uh, couldn't hear you." He stifled his laugh with a cough. CJ and Jen were a hilarious couple. They were great together, when they were together, but any other time, they were just weird. 

"I said that I don't know where to find him. He never told me where he lives or even gave me his number." 

David blinked in disbelief and tried to decide what he should do. Finally deciding that there was no harm in giving her CJ's home phone number, he scrawled it in perfect penmanship on a Post-It note and slid it across their desks to her. "You don't know where you got this." He said, jokingly. 

"Thanks, David." She smiled for the first time in days and bounced out of her seat. She hurried out to the payphone on the corner and quickly dialed the number. She shoved the Post-It note into her pocket, she waited for him to answer. On the fourth ring, the answering machine picked up. 

"This is CJ. I'm not here or I'm at work. Leave me one. BEEP!" 

Jen wasn't sure what to say to his answering machine. She was expecting him to answer the phone. She shrugged, wondering if he could be in class. 

"Hey, CJ. It's Jen. I haven't seen you for a few days and I wanted to know how you were doing. Give me a call at 555-4292 or drop by the Stand. I'm working until seven tonight. Bye." She frowned as she hung up the phone, walking dejectedly back into the help center. 

~~! Meanwhile - CJ's House !~~ 

CJ sat on his couch, his philosophy book lay open beside him while he took notes on the pad that was resting on his knee. The soft sounds of Tchaikovsky drifted out of his stereo system as he chewed on the pencil clenched between his teeth. 

The shrill ringing of the phone interrupted his study session but he tried his best to ignore it. As soon as he heard Jen's voice on his answering machine, his head shot up and he scrambled to turn down the stereo. 

"Hey, CJ. It's Jen. I haven't seen you for a few days and I wanted to know how you were doing. Give me a call at 555-4292 or drop by the Stand. I'm working until seven tonight. Bye." 

CJ rubbed his forehead with one hand as he listened to her message. He wasn't being fair to her and he knew it, but that night at the hospital had scared him. In his mind, things were moving too fast way too quickly, but how was a guy to talk about this, especially to her? Yet, he could hear the sorrow in her voice. He understood that the was hurting her. Maybe he should talk to her. 

He sighed, throwing down his pencil in frustration. There was a simple reason why he hadn't dated in the past several years: women were complicated. They always expected something. Yes, life was so much easier and better without the complexities of the opposite sex, but it was a very lonely existence. 

Instead of deciding what to do, CJ simply shook his head, retrieved his pencil from the floor, turned up the stereo and attempted to study again. Attempt being the operative word. He tried his best to concentrate on taking notes for his philosophy test tomorrow, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the unforgettable hostile hellion. 

~~! The Stand !~~ 

Jen flipped through the pages of her psychology textbook, reading the assigned pages on the psychological aspects of alcoholism and drug addiction. It was an unusually slow day at the Stand. She'd already finished the novels she'd brought with her, and was now down to homework. Earlier, she talked to two homesick freshmen and an anorexic girl, all three of whom, she felt like she'd helped to some degree. David had taken a very long call with a man who said he was standing on the roof of his apartment building, threatening to jump. David called the police and sent them over, but the guy was no where to be found. 

Suddenly, the door opened breaking the silent atmosphere of the center causing Jen to look up automatically. She had hoped that it was CJ. Instead, the man that stumbled through the door was wearing a dirty pair of jeans and a grungy t-shirt. His long hair was greasy and stringy, falling in his eyes. Peering closer, she saw this his eyes were rapidly darting around the room and he was bouncing on the balls of his feet with pent-up, excess energy. 

"I want to talk to David," he announced, staring down each of the men in the room in turn. 

"He ... he's not here right now." Jen replied, stepping closer to the guy. Her arms were raised in a harmless gesture as she cautiously approached him. 

"Don't come any closer," he yelled, pushing his hair out of his eyes with one hand and taking a step back. 

Jen stopped in her tracks, keeping the distance that was already between them. "I just want to help you." Her voice was even and soothing. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the help center volunteers reaching for a phone and he moved, faster than Jen thought he could. Suddenly he was behind her, one arm around her waist, while the other hand held a large knife to her throat. 

Jen's eyes went wide and her breath came in gasps as she instinctively tried to move away from the blade. 

"Back away from the phones," he commanded, waving the knife toward the other employees for a moment before moving it back to Jen's throat. "Everyone move into the corner." He pointed toward the far corner where there were no desks and no phones. "Slowly or else Blondie here gets to see what her jugular looks like." 

"You don't want to do this." Jen's voice trembled as she spoke. She tried her best to keep her wits about her, knowing that if she didn't she would die. But it wasn't easy. 

"Shut up, Lady." The man yelled, tightening his grip on her waist. 

"Let her go. We'll comply with whatever you want, just let her go," one of the other workers said, from the back of the room. His name was John and Jen had worked many shifts with him, though they hadn't really gotten to know each other. 

"I want to talk to David." Her captor ground out, becoming annoyed very quickly. 

"He went out to get lunch. I don't know when he'll be back." Jen bit her lip to keep from crying. Her hold on her emotions was quickly failing. She silently hoped that David wouldn't be coming back anytime soon, but another part of her wanted out of the situation as soon as humanly possible. 

"Well, I guess everyone should just make themselves comfortable then." The man said, pulling Jen with him as he moved further away from the windows. 

Jen turned and saw David walking by the large windows on his way to the door. His jaw dropped as he glanced in the window and did a double take when he saw what was going on inside. She shook her head at him as much as she could, trying to keep him from entering the building. He nodded, dropping the bags that he was carrying and running toward the payphone on the corner. 

Dialing 911, he relayed what he knew about the situation to the dispatcher, who promised to send the police and an ambulance as soon as possible. Pulling thirty-five cents out of his pocket, he hurriedly put the quarter and the dime in the machine, only dropping them twice. He dialed CJ's number, mumbling, "Pick up. Come on, pick up." 

He waited for the answering machine message to play and the beep to sound before screaming, "CJ! It's David! Pick up the phone! It's an emergency!" 

"What's wrong?" CJ asked, slightly panicking after hearing the urgency in David's voice, as soon as he picked up the phone. "What's going on?" 

"There's something happening at the Stand. There's some guy in there and it looks like he's holding Jen hostage with a knife." 

"What!?" CJ nearly screamed, grabbing his keys off the kitchen counter. "I'll be right there." He said, throwing the phone down and running out the door. 

David hung up the phone and moved back over to the door of the Stand. He warily peered through the door and was relieved when he could see the back of Jen and the guy clearly. She was still standing and he took that as a good sign. Straining his hearing, he tried to make out what was being said. 

"Please just let me go." Jen pleaded for the fifth time in ten minutes. Tears were falling down her cheeks now. Ever so often the guy's hand would jerk and the knife would come closer to cutting her. 

"Not until David gets here." He was getting nervous about being here. He hadn't meant to stay this long. He glanced toward the windows, trying to shield what he was doing from passers-by. "Hey, you." He pointed to one of the women sitting on a chair closest to him. "Close the blinds on the windows. Slowly." 

She trembled as she walked to the windows and closed the blinds. She saw CJ's car pull up to the curb and she knew that someone had called him. Turning her head slightly she saw David crouching by the door. He nodded to her when he saw her, but his attention turned to CJ as the taller man ran up to him. She moved back to her seat, smiling reassuringly at Jen. 

"Is he still in there?" CJ asked, trying to see what was going on through the door. 

"Yeah. He just sent Joy to close the blinds on the windows." 

"Is he saying much? Can you hear him?" 

"Yeah." David sighed, hanging his head. "He wants to talk to me. I think he's the guy that called earlier and said he was going to jump off the roof of his apartment building. I sent the cops over there, but they couldn't find him." 

CJ nodded, taking in all the information. "Did you get a name earlier?" 

"Yeah. He said it was Don." 

"Are you coming in with me?" He asked, his hand on the handle of the door. 

"You can't go in there, CJ." David tried to pull his hand away from the handle. 

"David, it's Jen. I'm going to help her, whether you come or not." 

Taking a deep breath and looking around the street as if hoping the cops would get there would actually make them appear. When no sirens could be heard, he nodded to CJ and they both stepped into the building. 

Don whirled around when he heard the door open. Jen gasped as the blade pressed into her throat from a moment. Her eyes widened when she saw CJ. She hoped that he wasn't planning on doing anything stupid. 

"Are you David?" Don asked, pointing his blade toward both of them. 

"Why don't you just put the knife down, man?" CJ kept his voice even and non-threatening. His eyes locked with Jen's and he knew that she was terrified. 

"Are you David?" He screamed, pressing the blade into Jen's throat until she cried out. A few drops of blood slid down her throat where the knife had broken the skin. 

Suddenly, sirens could be heard outside, and Don's eyes darted between CJ and David. He looked out the door and saw several cops taking up positions on the street. 

"Okay, let's just stay calm. We don't want anyone getting hurt." CJ's hands were held, palm down in front of him to show Don that he didn't have a weapon. He took a tentative step forward and was dismayed when Don took a step back, pulling Jen with him. 

"Stay back, David." Don said, pressing the knife against the skin under Jen's jaw. 

"My name is CJ." He said, calmly, stopping where he stood. "Why don't you let her go? You don't want to hurt her." 

"Where's David?" Don screamed, his voice ragged as his breathing increased as the sight of the cops coming closer to the building. 

CJ shook his head slightly, hoping that David understood that he shouldn't say anything. CJ was handling it. He would get Jen away from the guy. Everything would be all right. 

"Let her go and I'll tell you where David is." CJ said, taking a step forward and reaching a hand out towards Jen. 

Don's hands shook as he moved the knife away from Jen's throat. He let her go, giving her a shove away from him and lunging at CJ. Jen screamed, watching Don attack CJ, the knife coming dangerously close to cutting CJ's body. They wrestled for the knife; CJ backing Don up against the wall. 

David ran for the door, throwing it open and screaming for the cops to get inside and help. 

Jen's eyes widened at the immediate danger to CJ and she screamed, "No!" The knife flashed as Don freed his hand from CJ's grip as his attention diverted at the sound of Jen's voice. 

She ran toward them, knocking CJ away as the blade came down. She cried out as the knife slashed through her shirt, leaving a bloody trail across her left shoulder. 

Don stared at her, dropping the knife when he realized that he had cut her. His eyes went wide and he turned, running for the back door as the cops burst through the front. They ran after him, tackling him before he could leave the main area. 

CJ turned away from the scuffle, pulling Jen into an embrace, mindful of her injured shoulder. Once in his embrace, she let go of what was left of her control and sobbed into his chest as he rocked her slowly back and forth. "You're okay. Everything's okay. He's gone now. You're okay." He whispered, trying to reassure her. 

She remained silent, crying out her fears in the safety of his arms. He rubbed her back, trying to calm her. "Let's sit down, okay?" He said, as she swayed slightly in his arms. He craned his neck to see her shoulder. It was bleeding freely, so he quickly slid his button-down shirt off and pressed it against the wound. 

He led her to the couch and sat down with her as the paramedics entered the building and came over to them. They slowly approached, trying to make their presence known so that they wouldn't scare her. 

"Jen, the paramedics want to take a look at you and make sure that you're all right. Are you okay with that?" He asked, still rubbing gentle circles on her back. "I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere." She didn't respond to him and he was beginning to worry. "They're going to look at your shoulder, okay?" 

She flinched at their touch, moving closer to CJ. He spoke soothingly to her, telling her what they were doing. She clutched his t-shirt in her hands as the paramedics treated her wound. 

"We need to take her down to the hospital. She needs a few stitches to close this wound." 

CJ nodded at them, hooking a finger under Jen's chin and raising her head so that she was looking at him. "Can you walk?" He asked, concern evident in his voice. 

She stared into his eyes, a fresh wave of tears visible in hers. She nodded after a moment when his words finally registered in her mind. Clinging to his hand like it was a lifeline, she slowly stood up. He was right beside her, one hand resting on the small of her back. She started to take a step forward, but raised her head and saw the knife laying on the floor. She gasped as the events of the last few minutes rushed back to her. Her eyes rolled back in her head and CJ caught her as she fainted. 

"Jen?" He easily scooped her up and rushed outside to the waiting ambulance. 

Laying her on the stretcher inside, he sat on the bench nearby. Instinctively realizing that CJ was no longer holding her, she moaned, conscious returning quickly. Before CJ could release her hand, she latched onto his, refusing to let go. 

He tried to stay out of the paramedic's way as he assessed Jen's condition and bandaged her shoulder. "Talk to her, son. Let her know you're here." The paramedic smiled at CJ's obvious concern for Jen. CJ leaned his head close to hers and whispered reassurances to her for the entire ride to the hospital. 

An hour later, Jen was situated into an ER exam room. CJ was sitting on the edge of the bed holding her hand in his. 

She lay on her side, facing him. Even though her eyes were closed, it was apparent that she wasn't asleep. 

The nurses had given her a sedative to calm her down and reduce the chance of breaking the stitches. The sedative in addition to the painkillers were making her drowsy. But Jen didn't want to sleep. Every time she succumbed, the nightmares would return. 'Would he be there the next time she awoke?' she asked herself, afraid of the answer being no. 

She opened her eyes slowly, knowing that he was there with her by the feel of her hand in his. She sighed lightly and his head turned toward her. He gently brushed blonde locks away from her eyes and smiled down at her. 

"Hey there, sleeping beauty," CJ said softly. 

"You stayed with me." She said, smiling up at him. 

"You actually thought that I'd leave you alone?" 

"I was afraid that you wouldn't be here when I woke up." She whispered, looking down at the intertwined fingers. 

"I wouldn't leave you stranded and alone like that... especially after you were so nice and stayed with me, oh, just two weeks ago." 

"Thanks," she said softly. 

"You're welcome," he said, still smiling. "So, how do you feel?" 

"Sleepy, but I think it's just the shot they gave me." 

"Why don't you try and get some more sleep? When the doctor says that it's okay, we'll check you out." 

"I don't want to sleep." She grumbled, picking at the blanket with her free hand. 

"Now don't be a baby. You need it." 

She sighed, looking out the window and shuddering. "I can still feel that knife against my throat." 

"Shh... try not to think about it." He soothed, squeezing her hand. 

Abruptly the door swung open and she jumped, clutching CJ's hand. Her nurse walked into the room, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you. That door sticks all the time." 

"It's okay." CJ replied, looking down at Jen. She smiled half-heartedly. 

"Well, young lady, are you ready to get out of here?" 

"Yes," Jen replied, relieved. 

"I've got some forms that you have to sign and I need to make sure that someone will be staying with you tonight." 

Jen looked from the nurse to CJ and back to the nurse. "I don't need anyone to stay with me tonight. I'm fine." 

"Ah, honey, you've been through such an ordeal today. You really need to have someone with you tonight." The nurse flipped through the papers on the clipboard, furrowing her brow and looking through them again. "Why do you and your boyfriend here talk about it while I go find the missing paper for your discharge," she suggested, already heading toward the door. 

"Oh, he's not..." The nurse was gone before Jen could finish. 

"What's wrong with going back to your house? Won't your Grams be there?" 

"No, Grams went to New York to visit my parents and Jack is supposed to be staying with David tonight." 

"What do you say to coming back to my place with me?" 

"I couldn't intrude." 

"You wouldn't be intruding. Besides, I have to pay you back for those nights you spent with me." 

"You don't have..." 

"I want to." He interrupted her. "So, what do you say?" 

"Okay. I'll stay with you tonight." 

He smiled, "Good. I'm glad." 

The nurse returned as Jen smiled back at CJ. "I see you found someone to stay with tonight. Now, if you'd sign these, you can be on your way." 

**_To Be Continued..._**   
  


* * *

  


Author's Note: "Ok, so we produced the sequel. How do you like it? Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and read our work. We hope you're enjoying it." - The Evil Sisters. 


	2. Chapter 2

**A Further Understanding ... of Us**

Chapter 2

After leaving the hospital, CJ hailed a taxi that took them back to his place in Back Bay, Boston. When the taxi finally pulled up to the curb outside the red brick townhouse, CJ chuckled lightly as he watched Jen's expression of disbelief. As the duo stepped into his home, Jen's jaw dropped open even more. 

Seeing that she was still quite pale, CJ led her into the living room, sitting her on the brown leather sofa before cleaning up his notes that still resided on the coffee table. 

"Hey, you ok?" he asked taking Jen's hand as he knelt in front of her. 

"Yeah, it's just... Why didn't you tell me you lived in such a beautiful place? This is amazing." 

"It's really nothing," CJ mumbled running his hand through his hair. "It was all grandmother's... and I just couldn't bear to part with it." He got up, walking over to turn on the gas fireplace. "Are you warm enough?" 

"Yes," she said, although she shivered a moment later. 

"Quit lying," he joked, walking back to Jen's side and wrapping an afghan around her. 

She nodded, still looking around the room. It was a very spacious living room warmly decorated in browns and reds with an oriental rug in front of the fireplace. The room was well lit, but not too bright. Then, as she scanned the area, she noticed the trophies on the mantle. She gestured to them, "Are all those yours?" 

"Um, yeah," CJ replied hesitantly, blushing just a tad. 

She chuckled as his embarrassment, "I think it's nice. It's cool that you played sports." 

"Jen, how do you feel? Do you want your pills?" He was a little worried since color had not yet returned to her. 

"Uh," she looked down at her hands, remembering what he had said about not lying. "I'm afraid they'll make me sleepy." She finally said. 

"Jen," he said, pulling her into his lap. "It's going to be fine." He hugged her lightly, trying his best to avoid her shoulder. 

She returned his embrace, clinging to him for moment. "I know. I'm just afraid of having nightmares tonight. I'm glad that I'm with you though." She paused, hesitant about voicing her thoughts. "I feel safe with you." 

CJ smiled. "I'm glad." 

She frowned, remembering that she had barely seen him in two weeks. She found herself blurting her question before she could stop herself. "Why have you been avoiding me?" 

CJ sighed leaning back into the couch while wondering where to start. "My relationships with women have never been good ones... and I was scared." 

"You could have told me that." She said. 

"We were moving so fast," he said. "I knew I had feelings for you, but I had no idea how deep they were. I needed time." 

She looked up, trying to catch his eye. "I shouldn't have stayed that last night in the hospital." 

"Don't say that," CJ said, looking Jen in the eyes. "I wanted you there. I don't regret it." 

"Do you want to have a relationship with me, CJ?" 

"Jen, I don't want to hurt you," CJ started. "But, there's so much baggage for me." 

"I'm not afraid of your baggage, CJ," Jen said. "Hey, I have some of my own. Remember?" 

"I know... it's just..." 

"We can do this as slow or as fast as you want, but if you don't want to pursue this relationship, tell me right now." 

"I don't know what to do Jen. I like you, but, at the same time, I'm scared. What if this doesn't work? What if I screw this up royally and hurt you?" 

"You can't hurt me if you're always honest with me. You won't hurt me as long as you're committed to this." She tried to assure him. 

"I don't want to ruin whatever friendship we've established." 

"Please don't be afraid to get close to me, CJ. I'd like to have a chance at a relationship with you." 

"I know Jen. I'm just..." he trailed off. 

"Just what?" She asked softly, trying to get him to open up to her. 

"It's the first time that someone has liked me for, well, me." 

She squeezed his hand, "I'm glad that you're letting me see the real you." 

"Is taking this slow going to be ok with you?" he asked quietly. 

"It's fine with me. It's actually something new for me. I think it'll be good for us." 

CJ smiled, gripping her hand lightly. 

"Do I get to call you my 'boyfriend' now?" she asked, laughing and mocking the nurse from before. 

He chuckled. "We'll see." 

She smiled at him. Then took a deep breath, "So, about those pills," she motioned toward the bag he had dropped on the counter separating the kitchen from the living room. 

"What about them? Do you want one?" 

"Yeah. Just one though." 

"Okay." He replied, moving Jen from his lap to get up and grab her a glass of water from the kitchen and a pill from the bottle on the counter. 

"Here you go," he said, handing it to her after returning to her side. 

"Thanks," she said, using the water to help swallow the pill. 

"I had Jack send over some of your clothes with David earlier. They should be upstairs in the guest room. Do you want to get cleaned up and get some rest?" 

"Yeah, I guess that would be a good idea." She said, stifling a yawn with her hand. 

"Come on," he said, pulling her up. "Are you ok?" He asked, noticing her little sway. 

"Just a little dizzy." She put a hand to her forehead. 

"Can you walk?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine now." She smiled, taking a step forward. 

"Let me help you." He took her elbow and led her toward the stairs. 

"Who am I to refuse such a handsome gentleman?" She laughed, letting him help her. 

CJ laughed too. It felt good that they could joke around with each other. 

"Which way to the guest room?" She asked as they reached the top of the stairs. 

"Turn left," CJ said. 

"So," she said, a hint of fear in her voice, "where is your room? Is it close?" 

"On the right.. just down the hall, past the sitting area." 

"That sounds far," she said softly, looking down at her feet as they slowly made their way down the hall. 

"It's not actually that far. My house isn't all that big." 

"Yeah." They entered the guest room and she immediately saw her overnight bag sitting on the queen size bed. 

"So what do you think?" CJ asked, gesturing to the room. The walls were a simple beige and the furniture was made of a dark wood. There were a few paintings hung on the walls, but nothing that was recognizable. They seemed to be local paintings of various parts of Boston. 

"It's nice. Did you grandmother do the decorating?" 

"Um, no. I did. This was my old room." 

"Wow. I'm impressed, CJ." 

"Thanks." 

"Could you point me in the direction of the bathroom? I want to brush my teeth and stuff." She shifted nervously from one foot to the other. 

"Your bathroom is right there." CJ pointed to the door leading to the bathroom from her bedroom. 

"Oh, yeah, well, duh. I should have seen that." 

"Jen, you're doing fine," CJ chuckled. 

"Yeah, sure," she said, moving toward the bathroom. She saw him turning to leave in her peripheral vision. "Where are you going?" 

"To my bedroom. To get cleaned up and go to bed." 

"Are you going to come back?" She asked, unsuccessfully attempting to hide the fear in her voice. 

"Jen, I'm just down the hall. If you need anything, just yell. You'll be fine in here," he reassured. 

"Uh," she murmured, her eyes darting around the room. "You need to come back and check the bandage on my shoulder." She latched onto the excuse and ran with it. 

"Jen, your shoulder is fine. But how about this? I'll come back and tuck you in. Okay?" 

She nodded, satisfied with his answer. "Okay." 

"You'll be fine," he promised, patting her on the back gently and leaving the room. 

A few minutes later, he returned, in his silver-framed glasses, wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of navy blue pajama pants, to find her curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed. As soon as she heard him come in, she sat up with a wild look in her eyes. Jen, sitting there in a cute baby blue two piece pajama set, looked stressed and terrified. 

"Jen, are you okay?" CJ asked, concerned, as he approached to sit on the edge of the bed. 

"I'm scared," she replied, her voice trembling as she bit her lower lip. 

"Oh Jen," he said, gently pulling her into his arms. "It's all right." 

"No, it's not all right. I can still hear him breathing. I can feel the knife. It's not all right." She choked out between sobs, clutching at his t-shirt. 

"Breathe, Jen." He said, gently rubbing slow circles around her back. 

"Please stay with me tonight. I don't want to be alone." 

"Okay, okay," he said as he scooped her up into his arms, carrying her out of the guest room. 

She wiped her face with her hands as they entered his room. She had gained a semblance of control over her emotions on the short walk. He lay her gently on the turned-down bed and she automatically curled up on her uninjured side. 

CJ let her be for the moment as he went over to his stereo and turned on some soft classical music hoping to soothe her nerves. He set his glasses on the night stand and got into the bed, pulling the comforter over them and wrapping his arms around her, cocooning her with both himself and the bedspread. 

Jen relaxed in his arms, feeling safe and warm. She smiled slightly as she smelled his scent on the bedding. She snuggled back against his chest, releasing a deep breath and allowing her eyes to drift shut. 

CJ, feeling her relax, loosened up a bit as well, just enough so that he also fell asleep not long afterward. Just before succumbing, he remembered what day it was and that tomorrow should be a special day. He smiled slightly hoping that tomorrow would be better, for the both of them. 

The next morning, CJ awoke gradually to the rays of sunshine that were trying to reach his room through the draperies of the balcony. As he took in Jen's vanilla scent, he pulled her closer into his embrace. He smiled slightly thinking about how nice it was to wake up beside her. Slowly, as he continued to regain his senses, his mind was bombarded with all that had happened yesterday. 

Listening carefully, he heard Jen's even breathing, knowing that she was still asleep. Amazingly, she had slept through the entire night without a single nightmare. He smiled, feeling glad that her subconscious knew that she was safe with him. 

Jen stirred slightly as she felt CJ's strong arms tense around her. She sighed, snuggling back into him, hoping that he would relax. Then suddenly, she remembered why she was in his bed in the first place, possibly also a reason for his uneasiness. Quickly, she pulled herself out of his embrace, and sat up. She realized that wasn't such a good idea when room spun around her. She placed a hand to her forehead, hoping the spinning would stop. 

"Jen, are you ok?" CJ asked, worriedly noting that the sudden movement probably wasn't good for her. 

Jen winced as she felt the stiches in her shoulder being pulled by the rough action in which she was partaking. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said, smiling at him to let him know that she really was okay. 

"Then come back down here," he said, holding open the blanket. "It's cold without you." 

"What time is it?" She asked, laying down on her back so that she could see him. She closed her eyes, still tired. 

CJ propped himself up on one elbow and looked over Jen's shoulder to where the clock resided. "Ten." 

Her eyes snapped open in shock as she remembered that it was Friday. "Do you have class?" she asked, panicking. "Did I make you miss it?" 

"Don't worry," he chuckled. "I generally don't have class on a Friday." 

She released a deep breath. "That's good. I don't want you to miss class over me." 

"Jen, even if I did miss class, I'm sure my professor would understand." 

She nodded, realizing that he had a point. Closing her eyes again, she leaned her head against his arm and sighed. "I don't want to get out of bed today." 

CJ looked down and smiled at her while entwining his hand with hers. "Speaking of classes, don't you have any today?" 

She groaned, "Only European Lit. and I'm allowed to miss like three days in there." 

"Jen, are you sure you want to miss class?" he inquired since she had been so worried about him missing a class. 

"I defintely don't feel like going today. I wouldn't make it there on time anyway. I'd rather take a nice long shower and veg out watching daytime TV." 

"Well missy, if that's what you'd like to do, then that's fine. However, I have a couple errands to run today, so I can't spend the day vegging out with you," he said lightly. "But, since it's only ten, how about some breakfast?" 

"Breakfast actually sounds really good." She said, remembering that she hadn't eaten anything since lunchtime yesterday. 

"Ok then. Get out of bed, so I can start breakfast downstairs." He stood up, grabbing his glasses and putting them on before smiling at her and holding out his hand. 

"Do I have to?" She whined, but smiled back up at him as she stood up and grasped his hand, following him out the door. 

"You're not expecting breakfast in bed, are you?" 

She pouted, sticking out her lower lip. "You wouldn't bring me breakfast in bed?" 

"Not today." 

"Why not?" 

"'Cause I hate cooking alone." 

"You're cooking? I was expecting cereal." 

"Well of course I'm cooking. Cereal is not a balanced breakfast." 

"What are you making?" She asked as they made their way downstairs. 

"What would you like? Omelet? Scrambled Eggs?" 

"An omelet actually sounds very good," said Jen. 

"Vegetarian omelet, okay?" 

"Sounds great." She smiled, standing beside him, and waiting to help. 

"Okay, then, omelet, toast and OJ." 

"What can I do to help?" 

"Um.. not much... just the OJ, I guess." 

She pulled two glasses out of the cabinet and got the orange juice out of the refrigerator. She poured both glasses full and set them on the bar before turning back to watch him cook. "Can't I do something else to help besides pour the juice?" 

"Maybe set out the utensils but that's all." 

She sighed, shooting him a dirty look as she turned in a circle. "Uh, where are the utensils?" 

"They're in the drawer next to the fridge." 

"Okay," she went about her task, setting the bar with utensils and plates out of the glass-doored cabinets to the left of the stove. 

"Thanks," he said, from in front of the stove. 

"Anything else I can do?" 

"Not really...," CJ thought for a minute. "Just talk with me." 

"Okay," she said, taking a seat at the bar and watching him flip one of the omelets. 

They spent the next several minutes discussing school and favorite foods. CJ placed Jen's plate in front of her with a flourish and she giggled at him. Quickly finishing his omelet, he took a seat beside her. 

They had just started to eat when the doorbell rang. CJ hopped off of his bar stool and hurried to the front door. He was surprised to find Jack and David on the other side. 

"Hey, guys. Good morning." CJ greeted politely. 

"Hey." David said, entering the house as CJ moved back away from the door. "Jack likes your place." 

CJ laughed self-consciously, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, it was my grandmother's." 

Jack nodded, grabbing CJ's arm before they left the foyer. "How's she doing?" 

"Really well actually. She slept through the night and she hasn't broken down since last night." 

"That's good to hear." 

CJ nodded, leading him into the kitchen, where David was searching the fridge for something to eat. Jen was still sitting at the bar, eating her omelet. 

"Hey, you." Jack said, hugging her and kissing the top of her head. "How are you doing?" 

"I'm fine. CJ made me breakfast." She smiled. "He's a really good cook." 

CJ blushed, moving back over to the stove. "Anybody else want an omelet?" 

"Nah, we're just here to pick up Jen." David said, pouring himself a glass of milk. 

"Pick me up?" Jen asked, finishing her breakfast. 

"Yeah, we thought we'd come and get you and take you back to the house with us. I didn't pack much in the way of clothes for today and I thought you might want to hang out with me and David today." 

Jen looked over at CJ who was nodding along with Jack's reasoning. He noticed her looking at him and smiled. "I'll come by and check on you later. I've got some errands to run anyway, remember?" 

"Yeah," she said slowly, frowning at the thought of leaving CJ. 

"What's with the sad face? Don't you want to spend time with your best friend?" Jack joked, raising his eyebrows for effect. 

"Sure, I do." She said, sliding off of her bar stool. "I'll just go get dressed." 

A few minutes later, she softly padded down the stairs and into the kitchen. She threw her overnight bag down at her feet before any of them could do anything about her carrying it. She sighed, feeling comfortable in her favorite gray sweatpants and matching sweatshirt, which bore the Boston Bay College logo. 

"Ready to go?" Jack asked, standing up from where he had sat on her bar stool and picking up her bag. 

She nodded, walking around the bar to where CJ was doing dishes in the sink. He smiled at her, wiping his hands of the dishtowel hanging off his shoulder and turning to face her. "Leaving me so soon?" He joked, drawing her into a hug. 

"I can stay." She said, her eyes lighting up with hope. 

"As much as I'd love that," he grinned down at her, "I've got some things to do to get ready for tonight." He leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "I've got a surprise for you later." 

"A surprise? Like what?" She bit her lip and bounced on her feet in anticipation. 

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." 

"Yeah, okay." She grumbled, embracing him tightly before reluctantly letting go. 

"Hey, I'll pick you up later okay?" 

She nodded, following Jack and David out to the car. CJ watched them pull away from the curb through the kitchen window. He smiled to himself, quickly finishing the dishes and hurrying upstairs to get ready so that he could finishing planning the evening. He wanted it to be special for Jen and he knew just how do it. 

**_To Be Continued..._**   
  


* * *

  


Authors' Note: Just a quick thanks for all of you who have read and reviewed. Thank you so very much! We hope that you're enjoying this as much as we are! 


	3. Chapter 3

Authors' Note: Okay, so this story, in normal html format, has links dispersed through it to give you a glimpse at what we see as we write this. Be it a hand-drawn floor plan of the townhouse, or a picture of the Lexus, or a picture of the actor/actress we think should be one of our original characters, we wanted to give the readers something to envision while they were reading. Unfortunately, ff.net doesn't link things, so if you want to see the links that would normally be there, email us at evil_sister_2@yahoo.com and we'll hook you up with the links. ~ Evil Sisters   
  


* * *

**A Further Understanding ... of Us**

Chapter 3

CJ looked himself once over in the mirror, straightening out his clothes. As he walked down the stairs of his townhouse, he double checked that he had everything ready. He smiled thinking about Jen, picking up the keys from the counter. He hoped that tonight would go off without a hitch. He smiled even more as he pulled up outside of Jen's house. He parked the car, that David had been brought back the previous night, and quickly grabbed the single red and yellow rose before walking up to the door. He rung the bell shivering just a little at the cold wind. 

"Hey," greeted Jack, opening the door. "Come on in." 

"Thanks." 

"She's just finishing up," said Jack as CJ followed him into the living room. 

"Okay, thanks," replied CJ as he sat down on the couch. 

"Hi," said Jen softly as she came down the stairs. 

CJ stood up as he heard her voice. She looked magnificent in a red bateau necked sweater and a black fitted ankle length skirt. 

"Hey," he said, handing her the rose. "This is for you." 

"Thank you," she replied taking the rose from him. 

Jen was stunned at how good he looked. He wore a simple blue silk shirt and black slacks; despite the simplicity, he still looked gorgeous. 

"Are you ready?" he asked. 

"Yup." 

"Then let's go," he said after shrugging on his black, polo styled cashmere jacket. 

"Ok." 

CJ held out Jen's black cashmere blazer, helping her shrug into it without jarring her shoulder. 

"Thank you," she said as he took his elbow. "Bye guys. Don't wait up." 

"We won't," replied David and Jack simultaneously, smiling to each other. 

After stepping outside, Jen gasped at the sight before her. On the curb was a beautifully white Lexus IS300. "Is this yours?" she asked, turning to CJ. 

"Yes," he said, leading her down the walk. 

She smiled at him as he opened her door. "A perfect gentleman." 

"Why, of course." 

She managed to wait until they had pulled away from the curb, still fingering her rose, before asking the question she was dying to ask. "So, spill. Tell me how you got the car." 

"A little present from my absentee father last Christmas," replied CJ. 

"And you kept it?" she asked, surprised that he had accepted a gift from his father. 

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? Saves me the trouble of purchasing my own." 

"Smart decision." 

"Let's not talk about my family right now. So how was your day?" he asked taking her hand into his. 

"It was quite uneventful. The guys pampered me while we watched all the great daytime soaps and I took a nap. The pills made me sleepy again." 

"No wonder you looked so rested," he teased. "Having two guys at your beck and call." 

"They were annoying actually. I would much rather have gotten my own glass of water, but I couldn't say no to them. They were only trying to help." 

CJ chuckled at the mental image of an annoyed Jen being served by those two rascals. "We're here," said CJ as he pulled into a parking spot on the curb. 

"Aspasia!" She laughed. "We did make it here. Oh, and they're supposed to have exquisite food." 

"They indeed do have exquisite food," said CJ while helping Jen out of the car, the rose forgotten in the back seat. 

"It's also rumored to be really expensive," Jen said, her brows knitted together. "Are you sure about eating here?" 

CJ held out his arm for her. "Of course I'm sure," he chuckled. "This way, milady." 

"Milady? You'd better be careful; I might just get used to this." Jen smiled. 

"Oh. I don't think I'll mind," CJ replied as the duo stepped into the restaurant. Addressing the hostess, "CJ Anderson Party". 

"Mr. Anderson, it's nice to see you again." 

"Likewise, Angela." 

"Please give me a minute to set your table." 

"No problem." 

While CJ was handling their reservations, Jen took in the ambiance of the restaurant. The mood was incredibly romantic in the small dining establishment where the linen tablecloths were crisp and white, soft jazz was playing the background and flowers were decorated beautifully around the room as if they were meant to be there. The atmosphere was astonishingly elegant yet comfortable, and not stifling like many other high end restaurants. 

"Angela, huh?" Jen raised an eyebrow at him. 

"So I come here sometimes," CJ shrugged. 

"Uh-huh," she replied in disbelief, but allowed the subject to drop for now. 

"Anderson Party?" asked Angela, looking as though she was addressing someone else. 

CJ moved to step forward but he caught some movement in his peripheral vision. He turned his head and groaned at who he saw. He tried to turn away, but it was obvious that the other man had seen him. 

"What's wrong?" Jen asked, hearing his groan. 

"Oh, nothing," CJ grumbled. 

"Christopher," said the approaching man. 

"Christopher?" Jen whispered. 

"I'll explain later," CJ replied in a whisper to Jen. Raising his voice to a normal level, he turned toward the man and unhappily said, "Geoffrey." 

"Chris, how are you?" Geoff asked politely. 

"I'm all right, and you?" 

"Not bad. Lots to do since we don't nearly have enough help at the firm." 

"Just hire more people. I'm sure it's affordable." 

"Of course. But you know the old man, he'd much prefer to keep it in the family." 

"The answer is still 'no'." 

"I know. I've told him a million times already, but you know how he is since he's getting older," replied Geoff. "So, who's the pretty gal you have with you?" 

"Geoff, this is my girlfriend, Jennifer Lindley. Jen, this is my brother, Geoffrey Michael Anderson, boy genius of Anderson and Associates." 

"It's nice to meet you," said Geoff, shaking hands. 

"Nice to meet you too," she replied politely not knowing what to make of this new information. Jen looked more closely at the man CJ claimed to be his brother. They showed no resemblance whatsoever. Geoff was about 5'8" with jet black hair and dark brown eyes and was slimly built. He also spook with a slight British accent, which Jen found weird. He was the complete opposite of CJ. 

"And who's this with you?" asked CJ gesturing to the lady next to his brother, his arm slung possessively over Jen's shoulder. 

"I'm sure you remember my secretary, Jessica Haley. Jessica, my brother Chris and his girlfriend Jen." 

"Nice to see you again Chris," she said sweetly. "Jen," Jess nodded. 

"Mr. Anderson," Angela interrupted turning to CJ. "Your usual table is ready. If you'll follow me." 

"Well, it seems my table is ready," said CJ to his brother. "It's been nice talking to you." CJ took Jen's hand and followed the hostess to their table. 

"Your usual table?" Jen inquired. 

CJ shrugged. 

"Your server will be with you shortly," said Angela as CJ helped Jen into her seat after having rid themselves of their jackets. 

"Thank you Angela." 

"CJ," Jen nearly squealed as Angela walked away, "why didn't you tell me you had a brother?" 

"It wasn't all that important," CJ shrugged. 

"Mr Anderson," said the server. "What can I get the two of you to drink?" 

"Two glasses of my usual non-alcoholic Peach Chardonnay, Alan," replied CJ. 

"Of course," he said. "Your orders have been prepared and they'll be out shortly. Is there anything else you'd like to add?" 

"Nope, that's fine. Thank you." 

"Ordered already?" 

"Yes, I wanted this to be perfect," he said taking her hand into his. 

Alan promptly returned with their Chardonnay in beautiful crystal flutes and after he'd left, Jen decided it was time to ask more questions. 

"Seriously, CJ, why didn't you mention that you had a brother before?" 

"Because it wasn't all that important." 

"You keep saying that," she said, glaring at him, upset that he hadn't told her about Geoffrey. 

"Because it's the truth," CJ said. "Dear old dad didn't think that he'd get a son out of his cheating wife, so when he reached forty hitting a mid-life crisis, he went and adopted Geoff. Low and behold, there I was, Christopher James Anderson III, less than nine months after." 

"So that's your full name," Jen said, pausing. "Hmmm, doesn't sound like a very good family environment." 

"Oh, it wasn't. After I was born, everything went downhill, or so I'm told. First, they did a paternity test to make sure I was an 'Anderson'. And of course I was; Mom always took the right precautions. Then, instead of divorcing like normal families would, my parents just went on with their separate adulteress activities especially since they were too stingy to pay the cheating settlement, which would've been in the millions sector. And of course, it didn't help that Geoff was a boy genius who could do no wrong." 

"That's awful, CJ." She said, sympathetically, gripping his hand from across the table. 

"Yes, well. So I got shipped from one boarding school to the next," CJ said holding onto Jen's hand. 

Just as Jen was about to say something, the server came back with their appetizers. 

"Mussels for the lady, please," CJ said. "And the Buffalo Mozzarella for me." 

Alan set down the plates as ordered. "Is there anything else you'd like Mr. Anderson?" 

"Nope, that'll be all. And thank Chris for me." 

"Will do sir." 

"Chris?" asked Jen. 

"Christos Tsardounis. He's the owner and chef here." 

"Ah." 

"I thought you might like to try a little of everything," CJ suggested. 

Jen frowned, mentally noting the subject change. "Thanks. I think that will be nice. So what's in front of me right now?" 

"Mussels steamed in ginger tomato lobster broth." 

"And you?" 

"Italian Buffalo Mozzarella with marinated tomatoes and basil." 

"Looks yummy." 

"Here, try some," CJ offered holding up his fork wanting to give her the first bite. 

She glanced around at the nearly occupied restaurant before looking back at the fork that he was still holding out to her. She laughed a little, leaning forward to take the morsel. 

"It's delicious." 

"Glad you like it." 

The dinner progressed fairly well throughout the evening. The appetizers came and went. The entrees were even more scrumptious than the appetizers with CJ having Sea Scallops, baby artichokes, and pea greens, while Jen having Niman Ranch Pork Chops with fingerling potatoes, and corn bacon relish. Of course, each had a fair share of the others dish. Just as the evening was settling down, an unforseen incident occurred. 

CJ rolled his eyes when he saw Geoff and Jessica approaching their table. Geoff stopped beside Jen's chair and smiled politely while CJ scowled at him. Jessica attached herself to Geoff's side and looked disinterested in the entire situation. 

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if I could borrow Chris for a few minutes," Geoff smiled courteously at Jen. 

"Uh," she murmured, unsure of what to say. It was obvious that CJ didn't want to talk with him. 

"Not tonight, Geoff," CJ interrupted. "We haven't even finished our dinner. I'll see you in, oh, five, ten years. That is our average, isn't it?" 

Geoff glared at CJ, saying, "I'm sorry, but I have a plane to catch tonight and..." 

"Don't let me stop you," CJ interrupted. 

"It's important, Chris." 

CJ sighed and sent an apologetic look to Jen. She smiled to let him know that it was okay for him to go talk to his brother. CJ stood up, tossing his cloth napkin onto the table and muttering, "this had better not be about joining the firm," as he followed Geoff to his brother's corner table. 

Jessica smiled patronizingly at Jen, sitting in CJ's seat and taking a drink from his glass. "Ewww," she said, crinkling her nose. "Oh, that's right. I forgot. Chris doesn't drink anymore." 

Jen scowled, "No, but you're obviously the office drunkard." 

Jessica's jaw dropped at Jen's statement, but she couldn't think of anything to say back. She merely stood up and walked off holding her nose high in the air. 

Jen smiled to herself, sneaking a glance at CJ and Geoff over her shoulder. She was concerned about what they were talking about. She couldn't see CJ as his back was turned to her, but Geoff looked nervous and a little upset. 

CJ waited a minute for Geoff to speak before staring to stand. "If you're not going to say anything, I'm going to go back to my date." 

"Chris, Mom's sick," Geoff finally said, looking up from the napkin that he was twisting nervously in his hands. "She's dying." 

CJ stared at him, trying to determine if Geoff was lying to him. Finally he smirked, saying, "Why bother with telling me? She doesn't care about me; she never has. Why should I care about her?" 

"Chris..." 

"No, Geoff. I haven't seen 'Mom' since Grandmother's funeral. She barely spoke two words to me then. Hell, she didn't even tell me good-bye." 

"You were upset. Mom didn't think that you wanted her around." 

"I was all alone, Geoff. No one else tried to comfort me either. I had lost the one and only person who had cared about me." 

Geoff sighed, "We all care about you ..." 

"Oh sure. That's why my parents have said a total of twenty words to me in the last fifteen years. I don't see them during the holidays. I only see you once every handful of years only because 'he' wants me at the firm." CJ threw his hands up in the air. "Did you know I was in the hospital two weeks ago? No, because I'm not important to you or 'Mom' or 'Dad'." 

"That's enough, Christopher!" Geoff said, anger taking over his emotions for a moment. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry to hear that you were hospitalized. If I had known, I would have come to see you." CJ snorted and Geoff ignored it. "Look, I promised Mom that I would tell you that she wanted to see you. I was planning on going by your house tonight before my plane left." 

"You can go back and tell her that I don't want to see her," CJ replied, furiously pushing his chair away from the table and standing up. 

Geoff also stood, pulling an envelope out of his pocket. "She wanted me to give this to you." He held up it up so CJ could see his name, Christopher James Anderson III, scrawled across the front in their mother's flowing script. She always had pretty writing. 

An unwanted memory flashed before his eyes of the time when he was four years old and his mother was trying to teach him how to write his name on a piece of construction paper. He clearly remembered being unable to correctly form the 'h' and she had jerked him up by his arm, dragging him toward the closet of the playroom. Her vodka was spilling out of the glass in her other hand as she shut the door, leaving him in the dark. 

He shook his head to clear it. "I don't want it," he growled. 

Geoff looked at him strangely, before replying. "I thought you'd say that, so I'm going to give it to your girlfriend. I doubt she'll destroy it like I'm sure that you would." 

"Leave Jen out of this," CJ gritted. 

"I'm just going to give it to her to keep for you. Maybe one day, you'll want to know what it's in it." 

"Are we done here?" CJ had already turned and started back toward Jen. 

She looked up when he laid a hand on her right shoulder. Immediately she could tell that something was wrong. 

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. 

"Uh, Alan took our plates and said that he was going to bring our dessert out shortly. He seemed really excited about it." 

"Shit," CJ muttered. "I forgot. I'm going to take care of it. I'll have them box it for later." 

Geoff was standing beside CJ, looking for Jessica, but he heard their conversation. His eyes widened when he realized what day it was. CJ walked away in search of the hostess as Geoff cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. 

"I completely forgot," he mumbled. 

"What? I'm sorry. I didn't catch what you just said." Jen looked up at him taking a sip of her Chardonnay. 

"I forgot that it was Chris' birthday." 

Surprised, Jen nearly spit out her drink. "What?" 

"Today is... well, actually, the twenty-ninth is his birthday, but he celebrates it on the twenty-eighth most years. Didn't you know?" 

She looked around quickly, seeing CJ still speaking with Angela. "No, he didn't tell me." 

"How long have you two been going out?" Geoff was curious now. 

"Not long," she replied dismissively and stood up. 

Geoff reached out, placing a hand on her injured shoulder to stop her. She winced but he seemed oblivious to it. "I tried to give this to Chris, but he wouldn't take it. So, I'm giving it to you in case he ever wants to see it." 

She nodded slowly, taking the envelope from his hand and looking at the name on the front. She tilted her head, "Who wrote this?" 

"Our mother," Geoff replied. "She's ..." 

"Are you ready?" CJ asked, approaching them carrying a box and their coats. He lay the box and his coat down to help Jen with hers. She placed the note in her purse while he put his coat on. 

"I can't say that it was a pleasure, Geoff," CJ said, facing his brother. 

"All I'm asking is that you think about it." 

CJ only nodded, not wanting to get into another argument tonight. He turned, taking Jen's hand and starting to lead her away. 

"It was nice to meet you, Geoff." Jen said, resisting CJ's hurried exit for a moment. 

"It was nice to meet you too, Jen." Geoff frowned as they left the restaurant. His little brother had been hurt so many times by their parents and he knew that he had turned his back to it, preferring to pretend that Chris hadn't been treated any differently than he had. He sighed, shaking his head at his parents' actions toward his brother. But there was nothing he could do about it while Chris was being so antagonistic. 

"Chris has changed," Jessica said, her voice dripping with disdain. She slid her arms around him from behind, allowing her palms to rest on his chest. 

"Yes, he has," Geoff replied absently, still lost in thought. 

She scowled at his lack of attention and pulled away, walking toward the exit. He sighed, wondering why he put up with Jessica, but followed her to the door nonetheless. 

Later, CJ unlocked the door to his home and held it open for Jen to enter. He tossed his keys onto the table by the door, taking both their jackets and hung them in the closet. As CJ had taken their jackets, Jen shifted her shoulder lightly trying to alleviate the pain while hiding it from CJ. His mind so occupied with thoughts of his conversation with his brother, CJ didn't notice Jen's small movements of discomfort. In fact, CJ had been quiet and occupied for the short ride back to his place, more so because he didn't want to snap at Jen than anything. Seeing any member of his family always put him into a bad mood. 

He noticed that Jen had placed his mother's note on the kitchen counter but said nothing about it. 

Jen watched him, concerned about his reserved demeanor. "Are you okay?" she asked, walking up to him and laying a hand on his shoulder. 

He smiled quickly taking her hand into his. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting to see Geoff. I wanted tonight to be special, about us." 

She smiled at him, holding on to his hand. "Dinner was great, CJ. I loved it. Thanks for taking me." 

"You're very welcome," he replied, focusing on her lips. He slowly dipped his head, giving her enough time to pull away if she wanted to. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, smiling as he pulled away. 

She smiled up at him, "Hmmm, that was nice." 

He granted her a more open smile as he opened the dessert box to reveal his birthday cake. Inside was a simple New York style cheesecake with a twist - it was decorated with a few simple words of Best Wishes and some chocolate swirls. It looked gorgeous, traditional yet utterly original at the same time. 

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?" Jen asked while he got two saucers and two forks and a knife to cut the cake with. He sliced two small pieces and placed them on the plates. 

"I didn't want you to feel like you had to get me a gift or anything." He looked up at her where she sat on one of the bar stools, watching him. "Why don't we eat this in the living room?" 

"Can we turn on the fireplace?" 

"That sounds like a great idea." He smiled, nodding his head to indicate that she should follow him. She sat on the couch while he retrieved the remote for the fireplace and sat down beside her. "Ah, modern technology," he said, pressing the button and watching the fire spring to life. "And of course, a little music," he added, pressing another button and turning on the entertainment system. The room filled with soft classical music. 

She giggled at his flourish, picking up her plate and settling back against the couch. "This is really good," she said, a moment later once she had savored her first bite. 

"Yeah. Kathleen, Chris' wife, found out it was my favorite. So they makes sure I get one every year for my birthday." 

"That's so sweet of them." She nodded, snuggling closer to him on the couch and wincing when her wounded shoulder accidentally made unnecessary contact with the sofa. 

"Are you okay?" he asked, finally noticing her discomfort. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Geoff got my attention by grabbing my shoulder earlier so it's a little sore now." 

"He did what?" CJ asked, immediately sitting up a little straighter, placing his plate on the coffee table while he tried to pull her shirt away from her shoulder to see if there was any damage done. 

"CJ, calm down. It's okay. It just sore," Jen reassured, setting her plate on the coffee table. 

After seeing it for himself, he sat back and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. "Did you bring your painkillers with you?" 

"No. It's fine." She said, resting her head on his chest. 

They were silent for a long time just listening to the music before CJ finally spoke. "I don't know what to do, Jen." 

"About your mother?" she asked, looking up at him, knowing that was the only thing he could be talking about. 

"Yeah. I'm still so angry with her for everything she's done to me." 

"What did your brother tell you tonight?" She asked, curiously. 

"Uh," CJ ran a hand through his hair. "He said that she was dying and that she wants to see me one more time." 

"Oh, CJ, I'm so sorry." Jen didn't know what to say. He obviously had issues with his mother, but the woman was dying. 

He waved a hand. "She was never really a mother to me." He sighed, "But I still don't know what to do." 

"There's a part of you that thinks you should see her one more time, isn't there?" 

"Yeah," he replied hesitantly. 

"So, what are you going to do?" 

CJ didn't answer. Instead, he rested his cheek on top of her head, entwining their hands together, enjoying the comfort that she provided. Together, they stared into the fire, enjoying the rest of the evening, happy to have found each other. 

**_The End_**

* * *

Authors' Note: The Evil Sisters (that's right, there are two of us who write this ;)) would like to thank Ferg and Dani, who helped by giving CJ a full name and Infie for coming up with Geoff's name. In other news, this chapter brings an end to _A Further Understanding_, but not to the Understandings series. (hint, HINT!) 


End file.
